If you're not familiar with the cochineal bug, and the great drama surrounding it, go here for the "eww bugs" version and here for an entomologist's perspective on the situation. The first article in Grist is awful, but the comments are edifying. The second article in Skepchick points out that this scale bug is an important part of the local economy, and linked to higher income and education levels for women in the areas it's harvested.